A glance at the table shows ourselves, Middlesbrough, Villa and Manchester City still in the running for seventh. Incredibly, as we take on Boro, City and Villa play each other on Saturday with Boro then going to City on the final day next week as we play host to Blackburn.

Chris said: "It's funny how the fixtures have fallen - ourselves, City, Villa and Middlesbrough, all of us pushing for seventh place and we're all playing games against each other.

"It certainly makes for an exciting end to the season and that's what we wanted all along.

"If you'd have said at the start of the season that with two games to go we'd have a realistic chance of qualifying for Europe we would have settled for it.

"We know it will be difficult. Middlesbrough are playing well at the moment and are picking up results but's wonderful to have the challenge and opportunity.

"You can only be judged as a team and club by where you finish in the league and for us to finish in seventh place and get a UEFA Cup place means progress, no doubt about that.

"If we make it we'll have to look at it as a wonderful achievement but irrespective of whether we make it or not, we've made progress."